pips_pekins Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 I am hoping to find an egg any day soon but was wondering what I can do about food. I have 2 bantams who are around 5 or 6 weeks older than the others. Currently, they are all on growers pellets and chick flint grit with no shell. What should I do when (or should that be if!) the older ones start laying? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pips_pekins Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 Hello. I asked this question a couple of weeks ago so am just bumping it up. Hope this is ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 How old are they now? You are fine to keep them on growers until they start to lay, I would transfer to a half growers/half layers once the first girl lays, then gradually up the layers and reduce the growers over a few weeks. With bantams ie. Pure breeds they generally come into lay later, so as long as the younger lot are over 20 weeks when the first one starts laying, I reckon you'd be fine with the part growers/part layers I have suggested. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracyann Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I'd say the same, when my hybrids were about 18 weeks we fed them half and half and they now lay beautiful eggs. Got a long way to go until my new girls start laying, they are only 13 weeks old now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I would move them all onto layers when the first one comes into lay and start giving mixed grit - ie flint grit for grinding food and soluble grit to help form eggshells. Purists will tell you this is not ideal as we aren't supposed to give layers or soluble grit to non-layers, but lets face it, most of us end up with mixed groups of growers/layers at some point and the chooks are not going to carefully distinguish between bowls of identical looking food! I would try to move over to layers gradually - giving 25%, 50%, 75% and then 100% layers. This is because chooks can take fright at changes in feed and refuse to eat. Also, it makes sense to use up your growers! Cross posted with Space Chick and now tracyann, am I ever going to get my post up , but luckily we've more or less said the same thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pips_pekins Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 How old are they now? You are fine to keep them on growers until they start to lay, I would transfer to a half growers/half layers once the first girl lays, then gradually up the layers and reduce the growers over a few weeks. With bantams ie. Pure breeds they generally come into lay later, so as long as the younger lot are over 20 weeks when the first one starts laying, I reckon you'd be fine with the part growers/part layers I have suggested. Hope this helps Thanks Space Chick. What about grit? Should I start to introduce grit with shell once the older ones are laying or wait a bit longer? The older girls are about 21 weeks but have not started to lay yet. Hopefully they won't for a bit and then I will have no problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I'd add grit with shell once the first one starts laying. I'm in the same situation myself. I have 2 x 24 week old girls that haven't come into lay but are living with the big girls, they are on layers with grit and shell. No doubt in my baby run I'll have the same situation too, they are all 16 weeks at the moment, and on growers and chick grit, but when the first one lays I'll be following what I told you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 If it was me I would keep them all on growers for longer Layers will do more damage to a grower than growers will do to a layer The older pair will be able to lay eggs easily on growers pellets for at least some time All of my show chickens eat growers 100% of the time and have no shell in their grit either and I get plenty of perfect eggs, I am not unique in doing this either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pips_pekins Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 Thank you for all your advice. If it was me I would keep them all on growers for longer Layers will do more damage to a grower than growers will do to a layer The older pair will be able to lay eggs easily on growers pellets for at least some time All of my show chickens eat growers 100% of the time and have no shell in their grit either and I get plenty of perfect eggs, I am not unique in doing this either It's great to know they will all be fine if I continue to feed the growers pellets and better for my purse as I still have loads left Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
